Is La Palma's Cumbre Vieja volcano still active? Everything you need to know

With the release of the suspenseful and emotional television drama series La Palma on Netflix, people have been showing a renewed interest in the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption, which forms the show's premise. For the uninitiated, the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption, which emanated from the active Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, is considered the greatest and longest-running eruption to have occurred island of La Palma in the Canary Islands in recent history.

The island has experienced previous eruptions in the years AD 1585, 1646, 1677–1678, 1712, 1949, and 1971. However, none of them were as destructive as the one which occurred in 2021. The active Tajogaite volcano in the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge erupted for 85 days between September 19 and December 13, 2021, and caused damage equalling approximately 842.33 million euros, according to a newsletter from Europa Press Canary Islands dated December 4, 2021.

That said, as of this writing this piece, La Palma's Cumbre Vieja volcano has not shown any signs of activity since the 2021 catastrophe. Ferryhopper mentions that situations are stable and people visiting the Canary Islands need not be worried about coming face to face with difficult situations. However, the page does mention that travelers should steer clear of underground chambers where toxic gases from the eruption might be trapped.

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Exploring the nature of damage caused by the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption in 2021

La Palma's Cumbre Vieja Volcano Continues To Erupt - Source: Getty

As previously mentioned, the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption is the worst recorded volcanic eruption to have occurred on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Although there was no loss of life, (besides one person who died due to inhalation of toxic fumes from the eruption) the natural disaster was highly detrimental to the region's economy.

As mentioned before, the calamity resulted in millions of euros in losses. This is primarily due to the eruption's area of damage. The lava from the eruption covered approximately 2,500 acres which necessitated the region's forces to fast pace the evacuation of almost 7,000 people.

The lava from the eruption reached approximately 2.2 miles at its widest and 3.9 miles in length. It then, mixed with the sea before wreaking havoc on the regions that fell in its way including approximately 3,000 buildings. It also resulted in the cutting of the coastal highway, resulting in the formation of a new peninsula and several lava tubes.

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Netflix's La Palma uses the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption tragedy as a motif but the main storyline differs

While Netflix's recent release is based on the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption, the events depicted in the show are not directly drawn from the actual occurrences of that tragedy. There may be similarities in the devastation caused, but much of the narrative is purely fictional. Here is what the show's official synopsis reads:

"A Norwegian family vacationing on La Palma faces disaster when a young researcher discovers alarming signs of an imminent volcanic eruption."

That said, here's who features in the series according to Netflix's Tudum:

• Anders Baasmo Christiansen as Fredrik
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Jennifer
• Alma Günther as Sara
• Bernard Storm Lager as Tobias
• Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Haukur
• Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Marie
• Jorge de Juan as Álvaro

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Four episodes of La Palma are currently streaming on Netflix.